Gavin said as he tilted his head, “Isn’t that one of the rules?”
Korey chuckled, “True enough, Master Fox.”
“Call me Gavin,” Gavin said lightly.
“Korey,” Korey replied.
A loud clattering made everyone look at Evelina, “Does anyone else think this is suspicious?” Evelina demanded as she picked up the pot she dropped. “A strange woman appears in the woods with a talking fox and you just believe her.”
“Actually, it was a little girl,” Ash said, “and there was a hedgehog too.”
“Oh that makes it any better!” Evelina said, “For all we know this, this little girl could be a demon.”
“I beg your pardon,” Gavin said.
“No,” Ash said, “Gavin, let me.” He shifted, “I know this sounds crazy.”
“It sounds crazy?” Evelina said, “Some stranger shows up and asks you to go off with her and then sends a construct to make you do it. What if she’s a witch?”
“She wasn’t a witch,” Ash said, “and she doesn’t want me to run off with her alone.”
“That makes it all better,” Evelina said.
Ash surged to his knees, but Korey caught his arm, “No Ash,” he said, “Let me talk to Evelina.”
“Ok,” Ash said, he hesitated, “I’m supposed to leave in the morning. I was hoping you would be with me when I left.”
Korey smiled at him, “If nothing else, we’ll be there to say good bye.”
Ash nodded and left the tent, with Gavin at his side. “That went well,” Gavin muttered.
“It’s only the beginning,” Ash replied.
They walked together through the camp to the storyteller’s tent.
A large group stood waiting for him in front of the tent. Ash sighed, “Here we go,” he muttered.
“It’s true then,” Brennus said, “you bring a witch’s pet among us.”
“No,” Ash said, “I bring a messenger from a Goddess among us.” He placed a boot directly in front of Gavin. “I was visited by a Goddess while in the woods,” Ash began, pitching his voice to carry. “I was asked to become one of her people, and I said yes. The Goddess Vanora of the Winds has chosen to offer our tribe a place in her confederation of Clans. I have made my decision, but each of you must decide on your own if you wish to leave the tribe and go with me.”
“You would leave us without a storyteller?” Brennus demanded.
“Vanora has promised that my departure would not deprive the tribe of their storyteller,” Ash replied. “When everyone has chosen, I will select a successor from those who chose to remain tribe and Vanora will assist me in passing my storyteller knowledge to that successor.”
“You say Goddess,” Brennus said with a sneer, “I say you are bewitched. You betray us, storyteller.”
Ash glared right back, “I do what I feel is best for me. I cannot force you to decide as I would, that must be your decision, but know this.” He pitched his voice to carry over the crowd, “My Goddess has tasked me to leave in the morning with those who wish to become the core of the new Fox Clan. I will do my best for this tribe before I go, but I will not stay.”
He stepped forward, and the crowd parted and allowed him to enter his tent.
“That definitely could have gone better,” Gavin commented.
“Did you expect to be welcomed with open arms?” Ash asked as he shed his quiver. “Three years ago, we lost a quarter of the clan to the actions of a blood witch. We have been hiding in places like this so that the witch’s tribe would not find us. Most of those people outside lost someone in those attacks; my mom lost her brother in one of the first attacks. The tribe doesn’t take well to anything that smacks of magic, and you, my friend, are magic.”
“You accepted me,” Gavin said.
“Before I became the storyteller’s apprentice, I traveled with my father sometimes. I saw good magic and bad. I had never met a Goddess before, but I have seen good magic.” Ash said quietly, “I was willing to give her a chance.”
A soft thump came from outside the door. Ash froze, listening.
A second thump and Gavin darted forward to look through the slit in the tent. He drew back, “Older man, one leg, carved staff.”
“Selwyn,” Ash said. He darted forward and opened the tent flap, “Selwyn, come in,” he held the flap back as the one legged man came in.
“Quite the story,” Selwyn said.
“Not a story,” Ash replied.
“Not yet,” Selwyn pointed out, “but it could be one.”
“Are you planning to come with me?” Ash asked as he shook out one of the collapsing stools for his guest.
“I know something about the Wind Clans,” Selwyn said, “they ride a lot and I can’t ride.”
“If you wanted to come, we’d find a place for you,” Ash said. He watched as Selwyn sat down, “It would be an honor if you came with me. You taught me everything I know about tracking.”
Selwyn smiled at Ash, “You had the talent, you just needed the knowledge of what to look for, Ash. I’m here for a different reason.”
“What reason?” Ash asked as he sat down on his own stool.
“You said that you would choose a new storyteller before you left, and I want to volunteer,” Selwyn said. “I’m too old to become a nomad like the Wind Clans live, but the tribe? We rarely move, and we tend to stay in places for longer and longer periods. I could stay here as their storyteller and teach tracking. I have enough years in me, I can teach another storyteller to follow me.”
“Are you sure,” Ash asked quietly.
“I’m very sure,” Selwyn said, “I’ve always liked teaching and telling stories.”
Ash smiled a little sadly, “Gavin,” he said looking down at the fox, “how does this work?”
Gavin chuckled, “You ask, Ash. All you have to do is ask.”
Ash took a deep breath and closed his eyes, then opened them, reaching out to take Selwyn’s hand. “Vanora, Goddess of the Winds, hear me,” he breathed, “give this man the stories of the tribe and the storyteller’s knowledge that he might teach and guide the tribe until he is called to the life beyond life.”
A laugh filled the tent and a brisk, warm wind scented with grass and flowers wrapped around them. “Nicely put, Ash. Your request is granted.”
Ash smiled as the wind died down, “Was that her?” Selwyn asked hoarsely.
“That was her,” Ash agreed.
“She sounds young,” Selwyn said.
Ash laughed, “Vanora appeared to me as a little girl of about ten years of age, I gathered that she wants to be that way.”
“She does,” Gavin said, “she likes changing, like the winds she commands. Unlike the others in the pantheon, Vanora walks amongst her people as one of them, especially as a child.”
“Just look for the hedgehog,” Ash said.
“Exactly,” Gavin replied with a laugh.
“Hedgehog?” Selwyn asked politely.
“Vanora has thirteen animal companions,” Gavin said, “Save for two, they assist her Avatars in guiding her Clans. I am one, and the other is Hamish, her hedgehog.”
Selwyn shook his head, “It seems disrespectful to laugh at your Goddess, Ash.”
“Not when he’s a friend,” Vanora said, appearing between them. She was back in her child form and her sweet smile was turned on Selwyn full force. “My people are more than worshipers and followers, Storyteller, they are my friends. Especially my Avatars.”
Hamish still perched on Vanora’s shoulder, straightened, “Besides, they are laughing with us, not at us.”
“Goddess,” Selwyn said.
Vanora pressed her hand to Selwyn’s knee, “You may call me Vanora, Selwyn Storyteller. You have chosen a difficult path, and I have not the power or authority to aid you the way I can my Clans, but if you call, and if you ask, I will do what I can for you.”
“I am not,” Selwyn began.
“You were one of Ash’
s teachers,” Vanora interrupted him; “you helped guide him to be the man he is today. If you had not taken him under your wing when his father was away, Ash would never have passed the tests that proved he could be my Avatar. What you have done, you did freely and with no thought of reward, thus I can give you this boon.”
Selwyn hesitated, then nodded, “Thank you, Vanora.”
“I need to go,” Vanora said, “there are others who would speak with you, Ash. You are doing a difficult thing well.”
With that, she was gone.
“I can see why you trust her,” Selwyn said after a long moment of silence.
“She has a strong personality,” Ash agreed, “but she’s a good Goddess.” He forced his smile even as he thought; I can only hope that we can keep her that way.
“I need to go,” Selwyn announced, cutting through Ash’s thoughts. He stood up, “You take care of yourself, Ash.”
“I will Selwyn,” Ash replied, also standing, “take care of yourself.” He pulled the flap aside for Selwyn and glanced around outside.
No one was watching the front of the tent, so once Selwyn was limping towards his own tent, Ash let the flap fall shut with a sigh. “Everything all right?” Gavin asked.
“Just not looking forward to packing,” Ash replied. He slipped passed the drape that hid his sleeping area from the more public half of the tent.
“Are you bringing the tent?” Gavin asked as he jumped onto the center of Ash’s bed.
“No,” Ash said. “The Storyteller tent belongs to Selwyn and his family now. I have a traveler’s tent that I’ll bring for bad weather.” He opened one of the three trunks and began to sort through the contents.
“Storyteller!”
Ash hesitated, then